The Real Story Behind Shelby’s

“Secret Weapon” 

CSX2286 and the Daytona Coupe That Almost Was

For decades, enthusiasts repeated the same dramatic tale: CSX2286—the one-off “Secret Weapon” Shelby Daytona Coupe—was supposedly finished, loaded onto a truck for Le Mans in 1964, and destroyed in a crash before it ever reached France. It sounded believable. It sounded legendary.
But it wasn’t true.

The Myth vs. The Reality

The truth is far simpler—and more interesting.
CSX2286 was never finished.

Despite the hard work of fabricator John Ohlsen, the big-block Daytona Coupe remained incomplete in June 1964. It sat unfinished at Carrozzeria Grand Sport in Modena, waiting for parts from Ford that never arrived. According to designer Peter Brock, the crash story was likely invented to explain why Shelby’s highly anticipated prototype never appeared at Le Mans.

Shelby’s Big-Block Ambition

Shelby wanted a Daytona Coupe that could dominate the Prototype Class with big-block power and 289 lightweight handling. Ohlsen stretched the chassis three inches and prepared it for a new all-aluminum 427—but Ford refused to supply one, citing cooling issues.
Instead, they sent an aluminum 390, which Ohlsen installed. By Brock’s calculations, the completed car would have exceeded 200 mph down the Mulsanne Straight.

But the parts delays doomed the project. Without essentials—like a working clutch—the car remained roughly 70% complete as the Le Mans deadline passed.

Competition Without the Secret Weapon

Even without CSX2286, Shelby nearly upset Ferrari that year. The small-block Daytona Coupe CSX229, driven by Bob Bondurant and Dan Gurney, won the GT class at Le Mans in 1964, beating Ferrari’s GTOs.

Shelby hoped to finish CSX2286 for the season finale at Monza, even calling it “The Monza Coupe,” but internal tensions at Ford and withheld parts stopped the build.

A Short, Complex Racing Life

Eventually returned to California, CSX2286 was converted back to small-block configuration and finally raced once—at Le Mans in 1965 with Gurney and Jerry Grant—before clutch trouble ended its run.

Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, the car changed hands, was modified, deteriorated, and was eventually restored. Today, the original car—one of only six Daytona Coupes—resides in the collection of Rob Walton, valued at over $15 million.

The Modern Recreation: Shelby’s “Secret Weapon” Lives Again

To honor this lost chapter in Shelby history, Shelby Legendary Cars and Superformance created a high-accuracy, aluminum-bodied recreation of CSX2286—built exactly as Ohlsen intended it for Le Mans.

• Chassis stretched to 93 inches, just like the original big-block build

• Hand-formed aluminum body crafted by Kirkham Motorsports

• Authentic transverse leaf-spring suspension

• Girling-style FIA brakes

• 427-based aluminum FE engine with six Weber downdrafts

• Exacting cockpit, raw aluminum interior, and period-correct details throughout

Designated CSX2603, the first recreation became the newest CSX2000-series chassis assigned since the 1960s. Only six will be built, echoing the rarity of the original Daytona Coupes.

A Brutal, Beautiful Machine

Like the original, the recreated big-block Daytona is purpose-built, cramped, blisteringly hot, and uncompromising—exactly as a 1964 endurance prototype should be. With over 550+ horsepower, a hand-welded chassis, and the unmistakable profile shaped by Peter Brock, it is both a faithful artifact and a piece of racing history restored.